Coming to Fox: a reality series in which actual companies that are struggling to stay afloat in this lousy economy agree -- presumably in exchange for money -- to let their staffs decide which among them is going to get pink-slipped to save money.

In each case, the company's boss or owner will call all the employees together and tell them someone's going to get laid off. But rather than the boss/owner making the decision, he or she will instead give the employees all the available information about one another -- salaries, job evaluations, etc. -- and let the employees decide who will get pink-slipped.

Fox -- or at least its genius/madman head of reality-TV Mike Darnell, whom no one over there seems willing or able to reign in -- thinks people will flock to this show. Because it is about -- wait for it -- wish fulfillment. Because we've all been there when someone -- we'll call them Mister A -- once again cons their way out of getting shown the door at our place of employment, while poor old hard-working slob -- Mister B -- gets the old heave ho, and wished we were in charge so it hadn't played out that way.

We called Darnell to ask how, among other things, Fox is handling the legal quagmire when it comes to revealing details of employees' personal evaluations, etc. on national TV. He declined to comment.

Fox's latest effort in the art of television programming was developed, and is being sold internationally, by Dutch-based production company Endemol, who also brings us CBS's "Big Brother," which used to seem mean-spirited and skanky, but which suddenly looks quaint and charming.

An Endemol spokeman told a Reuters reporter in Amsterdam the new show "will be an interesting experiment." The reporter, in turn, likened "Someone's Gotta Go" to NBC's "The Apprentice" -- to which this new show bears virtually no resemblance, in that the "employees" of The Donald are fake, and when he shouts "You're fired!" they're not losing their actual jobs, they're only losing a made-for-TV competition. We vote that Reuters reporter off the island.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Fox network is letting employees of some troubled small businesses decide which one of their colleagues will be laid off and turning the results into a reality show.

The series, "Someone's Gotta Go," is in production, but Fox wouldn't say on Wednesday when it would go on the air.

Each episode will feature a company with about 15 or 20 employees that needs to cut costs because of the economy. Instead of the boss deciding who is fired, the company will open its books to show everyone's salaries and let the employees make the call.

In an inverse to "The Apprentice," the chosen one loses, instead of gets, a job.

Fox says the laid-off worker will get a small severance, but isn't saying whether the network or producers are paying the participants in anything beyond the chance for prime-time fame. Fox is developing the show with Endemol USA, the company behind "Big Brother," "Deal or No Deal" and "Fear Factor."

Tory Johnson, founder and chief executive of Women For Hire, which organizes job fairs and advises women seeking work, said she wonders whether "Someone's Gotta Go" is a good idea at a time so many people are out of work.

"For most people who are concerned about job security or are desperate to get hired, I don't think there's much to laugh at in terms of watching someone else's pain and misery," said Johnson, a regular contributor to ABC's "Good Morning America."

But Mike Darnell, chief of alternative programming at Fox, said everyone who participates in the show knows fully what they are doing.

"I feel that it's part of the times that we are living in," Darnell said. "It's certainly no worse than watching the news every night and hearing all the statistics and watching what is happening. To be frank, like all these shows, if you don't want to watch, don't watch it."

Fox and Endemol have had "absolutely no trouble" finding companies willing to participate, he said.

Fox wouldn't reveal the show's host, which it says is a business consultant who will offer advice to participating companies.

Darnell, a fan of "The Office," said he'd been working with Endemol about a workplace show, perhaps involving an expert coming in to help a dysfunctional workplace, when he saw a news report about a company where the boss couldn't decide who to lay off and left the job to his employees.

That became the basis for "Someone's Gotta Go."

He envisions it as a story about employee empowerment. Many people in the workplace can relate to seeing a colleague laid off and wondered why someone else they perceived as less valuable kept their job, he said.

Darnell said he wasn't concerned about the emotional fallout in a workplace after "Someone's Gotta Go," where an employee might be left to work with a colleague they'd just said on national television should be fired.

"Sounds like good reality television," he said. "You just described a good concept for a reality TV show."

Fox’s New Reality Show Based on Unemployment 9-Apr-2009Written by: Karla Casillas

Fox’s new reality show will allow employees to fire fellow colleagues.

Fox was inspired by the current economy to create a new reality show where employees of small businesses get to decide which of their colleagues will get fired.

Someone’s Gotta Go will feature different companies that need to downsize and let the employees choose who gets laid off after getting access to human resource files, which disclose their salaries, and discussing their decisions face to face, RealityTVWorld.com reports.

According to the Associated Press, the chosen employer will get a “small severance” after being fired. Mike Darnell, the chief of alternative programming at Fox, sees the show as employee empowerment, the AP reports.

“I feel that it’s a part of the times that we are living in,” Darnell said, explaining that it’s “no worse” than watching the news and hearing the statistics about what’s happening.

“When someone is arbitrarily let go the first reaction usually is ‘How come that person was fired when another idiot is still here?’” Darnell said. “This finally gives employees a chance to make that decision instead of a boss.”

There is currently no air date for the show and no information on whether the participants are getting paid.